


Secrets and Lies

by WotanAnubis



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Future Fic, Gen, Grown Apart, Post-Canon, Two People Chatting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:15:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24538312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WotanAnubis/pseuds/WotanAnubis
Summary: In which Harry suspects Hermione of a crime.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 14





	Secrets and Lies

Harry looked up at the sign that covered most of the front of the otherwise mundane building. **Club Magic!** Properly spelled, and only a single exclamation mark. Because of course. Harry felt obscurely that a club should have a name like _Magick_ , or possibly _Magix_ , but no. This club certainly wouldn't have a misspelled name, not even for marketing reasons.

Inside, the place was bright, clean, and spacious. It was still early in the day and the club was only _kind of_ open. There were a few people around, mostly chatting inconsequentially. There was some music, but no DJ yet. It'd be hours before the festivities really began.

Harry made his way over the bar, where a bartender was cleaning out some glasses. She was a very slender woman dressed in a crop top and jeans. Her hair was tied into several thick, round braids, and she gave Harry the coldest look he'd ever got in his life.

"Help ya?" the woman asked, her icy voice suggesting that the only thing she'd want to help Harry with was showing him where the exit was.

Harry plastered his most charming smile across his face. It didn't seem to help. "Yeah, hi, I was hoping to see the owner? Miss Granger?"

"You got an appointment?" the bartender asked.

"Well, no," Harry admitted. "But-"

"Can't ssee the owner then," said the bartender. "Misss Granger'ss very busy."

"She always is," Harry said, grinning. 

He'd noted the woman the woman hissed ever so slightly. Well, it could have been some kind of speech impediment. But it wasn't. That's why he was here.

The bartender grabbed another glass, turning away from Harry as she did so. "Anything else?"

"Alright, look, I'm... from the Ministry," Harry said.

"Yeah?" the bartender said, radiating disinterest. "Which one?"

He should've seen that question coming. He couldn't answer it. Not here, not in this muggle club. She knew it, too. Well, she _probably_ knew it. There was still the possibility, however slim, she was just some muggle with a weird hiss who worked the bar here and didn't know anything about anything.

"Come on, just, alright, I'm Harry Potter. I'm an old friend of Hermione's."

"Good for you," said the bartender. "Go ssee her at home."

"Please?" Harry asked. "Just tell her I'm here and see if she wants to see me."

The bartender glared at him and sighed. "Fine. But if sshe don't want to ssee you, ssecurity'll be taking you out, right?"

Harry smiled nervously. "Right."

The bartender stepped away and grabbed a phone from the wall. There was some hushed conversation, then she hung up and walked back to Harry. Harry couldn't help but notice the exaggerated swaying of her hips as she moved.

"Through that door over there, down the hallway, up the sstairss," the bartender said, giving Harry a venomous glare.

"Thank you," Harry said politely. "You've been very helpful."

* * * * *

The world behind the 'Employees Only' door was blandly corporate. It had felt like stepping into some office building. So he was not very surprised when he reached the top of the stairs and saw a woman in bland, sensible business wear, and less bland, less sensible business heels waiting for him. She was very pale, her straight hair was very blonde, and she gave Harry a look that was only slightly less openly hostile than the one the bartender had given him.

"Mr. Potter?" she said. 

Her voice was as blandly corporate as everything else around here, but there was just the slightest edge of something... different. Harry couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something vaguely familiar about her.

"That's me," Harry said.

"Follow me."

The pale woman turned around and marched off, not looking back to see if Harry could keep up.

"Have we met before?" Harry asked the woman.

"No."

"No, I guess not," said Harry. "Sorry, it's just, you look like someo-"

"Here we are," the woman said. "Miss Granger is expecting you."

The woman left Harry alone in front of a door that did indeed have a little plaque on it saying

**Hermione Granger**  
**Owner**

Hermione's office was as depressingly corporate as the rest of the non-club parts of the building. There wasn't a single hint anywhere that this was the office of possibly one of the best witches Harry had ever known.

Hermione had evidently been working on a laptop, but she looked up with an actually genuine smile when Harry stepped into her office.

"Harry, have a seat," she said.

"Thanks," said Harry, sitting down. His chair didn't look like much, but at least it was comfortable.

"Gosh, how long has it been?" said Hermione.

"Years," Harry said. "Although I'm willing to bet you know exactly how many years it's been."

Hermione smiled. "Well, you wouldn't lose that one. So, how have you been?"

"Oh, fine, fine," said Harry. "Keeping busy. And you?"

"The club's keeping me pretty busy as well," Hermione said.

"I'd expect so," said Harry. "Say, I'm curious, that woman who walked me here? Is she your secretary?"

"That's right," said Hermione.

"She looked kind of familiar," Harry said.

"Well, she would," said Hermione. "She's a Malfoy."

"Really? A Malfoy? Working in a muggle club? As a _secretary_?" said Harry.

"She's a distant cousin of Draco's, actually," Hermione said calmly. "Five or six times removed."

"Five _or_ six?"

Hermione gave Harry an old-fashioned look. He still remembered it from school. It was the look she always gave him when he hadn't grasped something that she felt should have been abundantly obvious to anyone with half a brain.

"They're an old, aristocratic family obsessed with blood purity. Do the math."

"Oh," said Harry. "Right."

"And I think that should go some way towards explaining why she's willing to work as my secretary in a muggle club, don't you?" said Hermione.

"Yeah, I guess," said Harry. "She's not the only one, though, is she?"

Hermione's face went absolutely blank. "Sorry?"

"You've got other wizards and witches working for you, don't you?"

"Oh, sure," said Hermione. "Mostly they're just curious about what it's like to live in the muggle world. Sometimes they stay, sometimes they go back. It happens."

"And the others?" said Harry.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. I don't let my muggle employees know about magic. Is that why you're here? Is the Ministry of Magic worried I'm going to blow their little secret wide open?"

"It's not, actually," said Harry. "You know why I'm here."

"Because you wanted to see an old friend?" said Hermione.

"Fine, if you're going to be that way," said Harry. "Hermione, you're a trafficker."

Not a flicker of emotion crossed Hermione's face. Not anger, not surprise, not fear, not anything. She remained perfectly calm.

"Not sure what to say about that, Harry," said Hermione.

"Magical creatures have been disappearing," said Harry. "I'll admit, it took us a while to notice, but a sizeable group has suddenly gone."

"Sounds like you have a poaching problem," said Hermione. "You should put some Aurors on the case."

"I'm not talking about unicorn hunters," said Harry. "I'm talking centaurs, house elves, dryads, veela, goblins, _gorgons_ , all sorts."

"Oh, I see," said Hermione. "Someone's been kidnapping magical people."

"And that someone is _you_ , Hermione," said Harry.

Hermione laughed. "Harry, I left the magical world ages ago. But if you want my help, just say the word."

"Well, you could start by giving me their addresses," said Harry.

"Whose?"

"The magical creatures you smuggled out," said Harry. "Come on, Hermione, don't mess me about."

Hermione shook her head. "Harry, I have no idea what you're talking about. I run a club, that's all. Sure, some of my employees are also witches and wizards. And yes, I do help them integrate into larger society away from the wizarding world if they so choose. But... people smuggling? Really, where did you get that idea?"

"Well, you've always been very vocal about magical creatures," said Harry. "Remember S.P.E.W.?"

Hermione smiled, and her voice dripped with acid. "Harry, that was a long time ago. I've learned since then. House elves are a natural slave species and humans are the natural master race. I understand that now."

"That's not fair," said Harry. "House elves-"

"Harry, I'm really not interested," said Hermione. "All I'm trying to do is run a club here. And then you barge in here and accuse me of being a trafficker. Frankly, I find that very rude."

"I'm just trying to give you a chance here," said Harry. "The Ministry of Magic is determined to put a stop to this. Do you have any idea what happen when magical creatures are set loose among the muggles?"

"Yes, they might get jobs as bartenders," said Hermione. "They're not animals, Harry. Well, the ones that aren't actual animals, anyway."

"But they're not-"

"Harry, that's enough," said Hermione. "Apparently, a lot of magical people are disappearing and you're in here wasting both our time. Why don't you get out there and find the culprit, alright?"

" _I already have_ ," said Harry.

Hermione sighed. "Goodbye, Harry. Don't make me call security."

* * * * *

About half an hour after Harry had left, Lucinda Malfoy quietly entered Hermione's office. She found Hermione standing at the window, looking out over the city with a distant look on her face.

"Is everything in place?" Hermione asked.

"Of course, Miss Granger," Lucinda replied. "However-"

"Do we have enough polyjuice potion?" Hermione asked.

"Naturally."

"Good."

"However..." Lucinda ventured.

"Yes?"

"Don't you think it's getting a little risky?"

"I'm sure it is," Hermione replied. "I just don't care. It's a big world out there. The Wizarding World is only a very tiny slice of that world. A very insular, self-obsessed, backwards little slice. And magical people get shoved into the very edges of that little slice. Does that sound right to you? Don't people deserve having at least the option of joining the wider world?"

Lucinda sighed. "It would be hypocritical of me to answer no, wouldn't it? But does it have to be you?"

"What, you want to leave this to the Ministry of Magic?" Hermione asked.

"No, of course not. Alright, I'll go put things in motion."

"Lucinda?" Hermione asked before her secretary had time to leave.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Have you ever considered that the Wizarding World's smug sense of superiority made Voldemort inevitable?"

Lucinda Malfoy cringed when she heard the name, but her voice was still steady when she replied: "Yes, Miss Granger."

"Do you think the Wizarding World's learned anything since then?"

"No, Miss Granger."


End file.
